Many people memorize their speeches or talks. With a perfect memory, the results seem good. If they write out every word, it might even look very good on paper because they had time to carefully craft every word. That's fine for people with perfect memories. But if we forget some parts, it can be difficult to get back on track.
If you can't remember everything you want to say, using cue cards can be fine in some situations. Perhaps you use Powerpoint slides to remind you of what to say. However, you will look more professional and credible if you don't need notes or read from slides.
Let's discuss our previous experiences and how our memory helped us with learning lines. Think back to your previous experiences with learning lines. Have you ever been less than perfect when speaking in public? Do you remember the last time you had to memorize what to say? Was it your script for a school play. This has certainly happened to me. But even though I couldn't remember the exact words, I could remember the flow of the story and could ad lib a few words.
I've even forgotten song lyrics for a school musical while on stage - very embarrassing! But the music helped me remember what to sing next. So, it's often easier to remember what to say if there is a story or some music. This provides our cues and structure for what to say next. So, how does this help us? How can mere mortals with imperfect memories memorize a speech?
For mere mortals such as ourselves, we need to do all we can. If there's no story or music, we can consider the methods below.
A) Use the Journey Method for Memorizing your Speech
According to David Thomas, a memory expert, using a journey can help you remember a speech and is one of the best tools you can use. Here are the steps:
Decide on the main point of what you want to say
Divide your speech or talk into sections
Choose 10-15 words that will trigger your memory for what to say next and assign them across the different sections
Imagine a journey around your home.
Design 10 stations around your home in different rooms and place a vivid trigger at each station. The trigger will be an item that will help you remember what to say eg a gold trophy.
As you journey through your home, you will tell your story or speech. (Your home is a familiar place where you know where everything is.)
Assign a vivid trigger word to that part of the room. The trigger will help you remember what to say next (choose vivid triggers - strong / colorful / emotional).
For each trigger word, add the details for your speech.
Ensure all the ideas combine to make your point - exclude ideas that do not fit logically.
Practice and rehearse your speech by following the journey around each part of your home and recall what to say as you encounter each trigger word.
Using the “Journey Method”, you will be able to quickly memorize up to twenty key words and it will be much easier to give a speech without notes. If you do forget where you should be going next, simply recall the journey around your home and you will find the next vivid trigger.
B) Use the Bead & Thread method for memorizing your speech
Imagine a string with different beads on it. The string will help guide you to remember the journey you're taking your audience on. This can be a very effective way of boosting your memory and giving your speech without notes.
The string is the thread that runs through your entire speech. The beads are the key ideas, moments and stages. Your goal is not to memorize the exact words to say. Your goal is to memorize / own the logic behind the words and how to transition between the sections. This usually results in you sounding (and feeling) more conversational and engaging to the audience. Here are the steps:
Decide on the main point of what you want to say
Think of the beads as a logical flow to explain your main point. Then the transitions will occur naturally.
Write down the main ideas and stages to include - but do not write sentences. Assign a bead to each idea / stage.
Add the details for each bead
Ensure all the ideas help to explain your main point - exclude ideas that do not fit logically.
Practice and rehearse your speech by following the logic of your beads and thread.
Finally, when you follow the logic, you will remember your speech. Your main points will then combine to deliver your main point.
So, try using one or both of these speech memorization methods when you prepare for your next speech or talk.
